Performance Projects

2016

In July Meghan and Julia performed the duet Here on the Ground at the Dancing on the Edge Festival, Edge 1 program.In this duet the audience discovers the unusual friendship shared between Julia and Meghan through the lens of their aerial dancing exploits, new motherhood, family name confusion, Platypus mating rituals, and ultimately the love and loss inherent in family cycles.

Here on the Ground was also part of a mixed program called Ties That Bind that premiered April 20-23rdat the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. With You for the Long Haul, a trio by BNC, (performed by Erin Lequereux, Jess Ames and Eowynn Penny-Huguet) examined the dramatic tensions of sibling dynamics. A big thank you to the Shadbolt for the production residency and partnership that made this possible!

2014

On Saturday May 10th at the Firehall Arts Centre, BNC premiered Be Graceful in the Wind as part of the 10th anniversary of BC Buds Spring Arts Festival.

Be graceful in the wind is a solo dance created for Julia Carr, choreographed by Meghan Goodman as a Body Narratives Collective (BNC) collaboration. Both Julia and Meghan had the privilege of dancing in the stunning treetop canopy of the Tofino Botanical Gardens with Aeriosa Dance Society in August 2013. This experience has inspired them to explore the spirit, magic and mystery of the forest. The music composed by Phil Thomson is an excerpt from Filled with Light (created with the IMP Collective through the generous support of the West Point Grey Community Centre, Vancouver Park Board and Loco Moto Art Collective). Costume design and construction is a BNC collaboration with puppet theatre artist Maggie Winston.

Be graceful in the wind is an inversion challenge and salute to the majestic tree.

From these performances, BNC was commissioned to develop Be Graceful in the Wind into a 10-minute trio for Dancing on the Edge Festival’s event, Dusk Dances, at Portside Park in Vancouver. Performances took place July 4-6th, 2014. Dancers Julia Carr, Susan Kania and Meghan Goodman were joined by collaborators Phil Thomson who further developed the sound score, Maggie Winston who constructed the costumes, apprentice Jessica Ames and rehearsal director Lina Fitzner. Photos below are by Yvonne Chew.

2013

BNC produced and premiered Dark Room: the realm of symbols, science and memories onDecember 4th and 5th at the Roundhouse. Dark Room, is a ground-breaking performance piece which weaves together music, dance, science, technology and photography.

We will be showcased in “The Originals” program along with Naomi Steinberg, Push3 and Crystal Precious. The 10th Anniversary In the House Festival features music, dance, magic, comedy, burlesque and circus performances in East Vancouver homes. Between June 7-9, 13 houses will open their doors and gardens to host these unique and intimate performances.

Come see what the Body Narratives Collective has been cooking up with photography and dance in an informal sharing to punctuate our residency at the Shabolt Centre for the Arts. Kindly join us for 6:30pm on Friday Oct 26th in the Shadbolt’s Studio Theatre (Burnaby) for a FREE sharing.

Body Narratives Collective will be one of the seven companies participating in the Shadbolt’s 7 daysas part of Culture Days.

September 29 | 8pm

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Studio Theatre

Witness one concept through the eyes of seven top-tiered artists from a variety of disciplines and see it come to life, seven different ways, in only seven days. There are no limits except the 14 minute performance time – oh and a completed piece in only one week. Sure to capture the imagination, the funny bone and the creative spirit of participants and audience alike, 7 explores the very limits of what possibilities exist when one is pushed to the limit…Visit http://shadboltcentre.com/september_performances.php for more info.

Habitat: A Community Performance Project

This year BNC was selected by the Vancouver Park Board and the Kensington Community Centre Association as recipients of the 2012 Artists in Communities Program http://vancouver.ca/parks/arts/air.htm. BNC collaborated with Maggie Winston, of Lost and Found Puppet Co, in the creation of Habitat: A Community Performance Project. We organized and facilitated a community engaged site-specific performance using dance and puppetry to animate the unique features of the facility, including a swimming pool! Visit kensingtonart.wordpress.com to see videos and images of the creation process.

BNC DanceLab showing at the Scotiabank Dance Centre

March 23rd 4-5pm

Join the Body Narratives Collective (Julia Carr and Meghan Goodman) with Even Oldridge (photographer/engineer) as we open up the Faris Family Studio to share our discoveries from this initial research period integrating dance with photography. Through the support of the DanceLab program, we have explored the integration of computer vision based techniques with dance as well as using the theatre as a photographic darkroom to create mural sized photograms.

The Faris Family Studio is located on the first floor of the Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie Street, Vancouver.

Photos by Even Oldridge

2011

In 2011 BNC created and performed Tracing Trace, a collaboration between the Body Narratives Collective (dance artists Siobhan Sloane- Seale, Meghan Goodman and Julia Carr) and painter, engineer, and photographer Even Oldridge. This work is an investigation into storytelling, dance and photography.

In the piece we share stories that have helped us to grow, to learn from our fears, confusions, and inhibitions in the hopes that this information will inspire other people along their journey through the unpredictability of life. We feel that it is important to illuminate stories that might be emotionally difficult to hear, but to balance this with humor, wit, and stories that provide levity in our day-to-day lives.

Photo by BNC with Even Oldridge

The other meaning of Tracing Traces is quite literal. In performance we set up a still camera in a darkened room and open the shutter for approximately one minute. The performer and/or light sources dance in front of the camera as a story is revealed, contrasting movement with stillness, using hand-held light sources to expose the dancer(s) and/or props in space, creating striking, luminescent light paintings. Tracing Traces was performed at the Firehall’s BC Buds Spring Arts Fair, the In the House Festival and at the Anderson Street Space.

Photo by BNC with Even Oldridge

Audience response was enthusiastic:

“really, really fun. Clear, consistent and relaxing. Keep it up. Obviously visually appealing. I liked the suspense of not knowing what was going to come up on the screen.” —Kert

“I loved the pictures of the lights!!!!!”—Alberta

“Thank you. We want more!”—Stacey

“I saw 7 dance shows this week and this was the best! Great job. Let me know of more shows”—Lyndsay

“Loved, loved, loved it!”—Jillian

2010

In 2010 BNC commissioned Rob Kitsos to choreograph Xenoglossy. With the generous granting assistance from BCAC and the Province of British Columbia we were able to create this 15 minute trio.

Xenoglossy is the paranormal phenomenon in which a person is able to speak or write a language he or she supposedly could not have acquired by natural means. This concept inspired the use of male monologues from well known movies as archetypal representations of manhood set on the Body Narratives Collective of female performers. The juxtaposition of gender in the text and movement creates many new avenues of interpretation and meaning as the trio athletically move from the sports arena to Scarface and to tender and thoughtful moments of brotherhood.

2009

In 2009 we created and performed Drink Sand in the Desert, with poet April Martin and sound artist Joanna Chapman-Smith. It premiered in May at the BC Buds Spring Arts Fair at the Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver. From that showing we were invited to perform in the Dusk Dances series as part of the Dancing on the Edge Festival, July 2009.